1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of tinted vehicle windows and more specifically relates to an OEM and/or retro-market installable vehicle window tinting system for use with a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many individuals in modern society use automobiles for work, school, or recreation. Automobiles offer consumers a simple and efficient means of traveling from one destination to the next. Most considerate drivers realize the importance of staying alert behind the wheel and because of this pay close attention to the comings and goings of traffic, their speed, road signs, stop lights, and other known hazards of the road.
Unfortunately, as many drivers would attest, there are those obstacles that even the most conscientious of drivers cannot avoid. In particular, driving in the direction of sunlight can be both difficult and dangerous. Incoming sunlight often results in unavoidable “blind spots,” the glare of intense sunlight can make it almost impossible to see the road ahead. The low-contrast vision caused by glare from the sun may be distracting and may directly affect driving comfort and safety. Burning of the eyes, fatigue, and eye strain are often symptoms of blinding glare caused by ultraviolet rays which may make even the shortest of journeys unsafe, exhausting, and stressful.
Traditional tinted windows offer the advantage of reducing the amount of glare, providing privacy, and making the contents of the interior of a vehicle more difficult to discern, but there are many occasions when it is desirable to have unobstructed vision which may be best realized with non-tinted windows. Further, many local and state governments have specific guidelines to the degree of which a window may be tinted. Consequently, if a vehicle's windows are tinted in a shade too dark to meet these guidelines, the vehicle's operator may be subject to serious fines and penalties. It is desirable to that driving be made safe and comfortable for drivers and passengers as well as the vehicle be protected from the damaging effects of the sun.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. And Pub. Nos. 2008/0007086 to Pattikonda; 5,587,828 to Bernard et al; and 2003/0210355 to Dao. This prior art is representative of vehicle tinting systems. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a user-preferred vehicle window tinting system should be safe in operation and yet, would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a tinting system for vehicle windows allowing the vehicle driver to adjust the level of the window's tint using a control knob from within the vehicle.